Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry appeared in front of a U.S. Senate panel on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017 to discuss his qualifications as President Donald Trump's pick for Energy Secretary. The appearance was a bit of an awkward situation for Perry, who once said the entire Department of Energy should be shut down.

See how Perry has been portrayed in the past in this series of political cartoons ...

Perry is more outraged by a cartoon in the Sacramento Bee than he is about the results of lax regulation.

Perry is more outraged by a cartoon in the Sacramento Bee than he is about the results of lax regulation.

Image 17 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Image 18 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Texas leads the nation in the rate of uninsured.

Texas leads the nation in the rate of uninsured.

Image 19 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Perry enters the GOP presidential primary.

Perry enters the GOP presidential primary.

Image 20 of 44

Image 21 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Wildfires force a change in Perry's anti-federal government attitude.

Wildfires force a change in Perry's anti-federal government attitude.

Image 22 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Image 23 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Image 24 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Perry pauses his campaign attacks on the federal government just long enough to request federal disaster aid for wildfires.

Perry pauses his campaign attacks on the federal government just long enough to request federal disaster aid for wildfires.

Image 25 of 44

Image 26 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Image 27 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Perry's appointee on the UT board is gunning for President Bill Powers.

Perry's appointee on the UT board is gunning for President Bill Powers.

Image 28 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Image 29 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Image 30 of 44

Image 31 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

The Texas drought prompts Perry to suggest that prayer might end the drought.

The Texas drought prompts Perry to suggest that prayer might end the drought.

Image 32 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Image 33 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Image 34 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Perry tries to force the Travis County DA out of office when she is arrested for driving under the influence.

Perry tries to force the Travis County DA out of office when she is arrested for driving under the influence.

Image 35 of 44

Image 36 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Image 37 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Image 38 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Perry can't remember the third federal agency he would shut down during a presidential primary debate. Oops.

Perry can't remember the third federal agency he would shut down during a presidential primary debate. Oops.

Image 39 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Image 40 of 44

Image 41 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Image 42 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Image 43 of 44 |
Rick Perry's Career in Cartoons

Image 44 of 44

Fresh off news of money troubles, Rick Perry heads to Iowa State Fair

1 / 44

Back to Gallery

Shrugging off the news that his presidential campaign has run out of money, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry announced Thursday that he will look for support at the Iowa State Fair next week.

Perry will be holding six events in five of the early-voting state's cities between next Monday and Wednesday, according to his campaign, but the focus will be the fair in Des Moines.

The Republican will be participating in the "Celebrity Griller" event Tuesday afternoon and the "Des Moines Register Soapbox" Wednesday morning.

The soapbox is a tradition that gives candidates 20 minutes to speak to the crowd and take questions. Other candidates to speak include Democratic U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Republicans Marco Rubio, a U.S. senator from Florida; Lindsey Graham, a U.S. senator from South Carolina; Rick Santorum, a former U.S. Sen. from Pennsylvania; neurosurgeon Ben Carson, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, and Mark Everson, a former IRS commissioner.

Perry famously drew attention for his visit to the Iowa State Fair in 2011. During that trip, a photographer captured an image of Perry -- then a frontrunner for the 2012 GOP nomination -- eating a corn dog. The photo went around the Internet and soon found its way into Democratic jokes.

Related Stories

On March 6, Texas voters will decide who will carry the Democratic party's mantle into the battle for governor and a slew of other statewide offices. Click here for full coverage of the primary elections. Find our voters guide here.